dreamin' dreamin'
by Urby
Summary: 765 Production was not particularly well known until the clever producer debuted two of its greatest vocal talents - Chihaya Kisaragi and Azusa Miura - together as the "Blue Dreams" unit.
1. Debut

I'm-a breakin' mah three-year posting silence...! Let it be known in advance that I have never played any sort of iDOLMSTER game. I am going purely off of what I can gather from other people, translations, and fanart! So, if I make a mistake, that is my excuse.

* * *

"Tomorrow's the big day. You two should take it easy for now, so I'll be letting you off earlier than usual. Try not to overwork yourselves."

"Of course, of course."

"Understood."

The Producer glanced very briefly at Chihaya. "Well, if you're sure," he said, and then excused himself to attend a meeting.

She felt, very faintly, as if she had just been made fun of.

"Actually, Azusa-san..."

"Yes? What is it?"

"I wanted to try something different with the song...would you run through it with me?"

"Something different? How interesting! You are always thinking of these things, Chihaya-chan."

"Yes, well...it has to do with the emphasis on some of the notes..."

The two of them moved to an empty room to experiment with the song. At Chihaya's suggestions, they made subtle changes to the delivery of certain lines, over and over again. Nothing appeared to fit, which was beginning to make her angry.

"Well?" Azusa tilted her head at her. The sound of her voice made Chihaya look up. "What's next?"

"I don't know...I'm beginning to think that what we did last time might have been better. Could we try it again?"

Azusa laid a hand against her cheek. "My, my...wouldn't it be better if we sang it as it was written?"

"But it doesn't...sound right."

She couldn't explain it, she felt something...lacking...in the music. She had hoped that she could have found the problem, but none of the variations were helping. All of them had their own problems.

"Chihaya-chan, could it be that you're nervous?"

What?

"It isn't that."

"You're nervous," Azusa repeated, folding her hands together. "That's normal. But I think it would be better if you didn't worry about it so much."

"It isn't that! We should be improving the music. It can be made better!"

Azusa's smile fell ever so slightly. Then she walked over to Chihaya so that they were standing very close to each other. The smaller girl stiffened a bit in confusion.

"Here, like this -" Azusa pushed her fingers through Chihaya's, their palms meeting.

"What - what are you -"

Azusa held up their hands so that they were between them and rested her forehead on Chihaya's. Her eyes closed serenely. "Relax..."

Chihaya could not find any way to protest, though she found this a bit too close and sudden for comfort. Azusa's face was hovering so close - their noses were barely grazing - that she was having trouble focusing her eyes. After a few seconds of blinking uselessly, she closed her eyes.

"Listen to your breathing, if that helps."

With her eyes closed, Chihaya did find that it was easier to focus on herself. Without her vision distracting her, she was clearly aware of her body, that of Azusa's close by, and the points of contact between them. Slowly, her shoulders rolled down and she untensed...which came as a surprise, because she wasn't aware that she was tense in the first place.

"There's no use in worrying about it now. Tomorrow, we'll do our best with what we've settled on before. That's all."

"...Right. You're right."

* * *

765 Production was not particularly well known until the clever producer debuted two of its greatest vocal talents - Chihaya Kisaragi and Azusa Miura - together as the "Blue Dreams" unit. There were high hopes for the two of them within the production, but their immediate popularity caught everyone by surprise. Though they were technically low-ranked, they had a fanbase that rivaled some of the more established, higher-ranking idols.

It seemed that overnight, everyone knew about 765 pro. There was enough interest and demand to see more that they formed two other paired units - Pale Dawn and Love Mission - but neither of them captured the instant success that the Blue Dreams had.

It was almost like a miracle, but Chihaya did not believe in miracles. The Blue Dreams' rise had everything to do with the effort that she and Azusa put in. If their initial success was a blessing, then it was only natural that they continue to work for that honor. There were no excuses for letting up.

The two of them continued to sing. Their progress up the idol ranking was slow, but their popularity continued to rise at a steady rate.

Eventually, as they always did, the leading trends began to change. No longer could the masses be satisfied with vocal talent. The fans wanted to see them dance.

Chihaya did not particularly like to dance.

Azusa possessed a rather unique incompetancy when it came to dancing.

Regardless, the Blue Dreams had to adjust. The Producer seemed to be up to something, a something he did not elaborate on. What he did make very clear, however, was that their next song had a particularly involved dancing routine, and if their new training schedule was any indication, he was determined to turn them into dancing masters. The next few days were filled with drills and run-throughs.

"Ara -"

"Ah -!"

Azusa had fallen down again.

Ritsuko, who was overseeing their drill for the day, solemnly chewed a bit more on her bubble gum. "Well, that can't be helped. Alright, let's take it again from the top."

Chihaya was helping Azusa to her feet. The older woman's eyebrows were pinched together as she limped to a standing position. "...I think -"

Ritsuko briefly blew a bubble in a thoroughly unimpressed manner.

"I think I might have twisted my ankle a little bit..."

"We'll have to put some ice on it, then."

"Ah, no - I think it's alright, it'll be fine."

Ritsuko leaned forward with her hands on her hips, frowning. "We'll need to put some ice on it. Furthermore, Chihaya, you don't turn your head like that when your partner makes a mistake."

"Right...!"

"It's bad enough when one girl trips up. But if every single member in the unit reacts, then the penalty is higher."

A silence hung in the air as Ritsuko walked out to get the ice. Chihaya called after her: "What should we do if we do make a mistake, then?"

Ritsuko paused and turned her head. "Put on your biggest smile as you get back into the routine. And stop making mistakes."

* * *

The Producer had them entered into a ranking competition using their new song. He had also given them new outfits - instead of the dark, conservative "pretty" dresses that the Blue Dreams usually performed in, they were clad in the brighter, more exposed "cool" outfits.

Chihaya's hands kept wandering from her neck to her very bare stomach. Before, the difference between hers and Azusa's body types were not very apparent, but like this...it was very obvious. Just standing next to Azusa made her feel...small.

"Chihaya -"

She snapped to attention. "Yes, Producer!"

"I just said, do your best. You two better get backstage now. I'll be with you in a minute."

The Producer's words were not registering completely in Chihaya's mind. That was strange, she was usually quite focused when it came to performances. She had to be lead by Azusa to the prep area backstage.

"Isn't this exciting, Chihaya-chan? It's nice to see idols from other productions."

"Yes," Chihaya answered idly, glancing out of the gap in the curtain to the performing group onstage. There were three girls, all of them petite and dressed in bold warm colors. They were stepping rhythmically to their song, but there was something about it that was bothering her...

"That is a cute dance," Azusa said as she looked over Chihaya's head.

"Yes," Chihaya repeated, though she didn't really agree.

"Chihaya-chan, if you keep pinching your mouth like that, you'll ruin your lipstick. Turn around -"

Chihaya complied, allowing Azusa to dab at the sides of her mouth with a towel. When she was finished, Azusa held Chihaya at arm's length, smiling at her. Chihaya's expression was cool.

"Azusa-san, I'm not wearing any lipstick."

"Oh." Azusa's smile fell. "Is that right?"

Chihaya glanced back at the stage again. Something about the performance wasn't sitting right with her, but she could not figure out why.

"Don't you think it's strange? The one on the right is scuffing the floor every time she picks up her foot. That's not a very natural movement."

"Well, her sandals are slightly too big, aren't they? She must be stepping harder in order to adjust."

That was true, but it was still all very bizzare.

"Come now," Azusa placed her hands on Chihaya's shoulders to turn her around again. She touched their foreheads together, and Chihaya brought their hands together in response, like they had done many times before. "You are creating phantoms. Clear your mind."

Right. Right, Chihaya thought as she concentrated on the darkness behind her eyelids.

...Azusa's grip was a bit stiffer than usual. Chihaya gently squeezed their hands reassuringly, and felt Azusa press in return.

There was a familiar male voice approaching. "-talk to you later. Keep up with the lesson." He must have been on the phone.

Chihaya opened one eye to look at the Producer, who seemed pleasantly surprised. He had a light grin.

"Are you two meditating?"

"Oh! You're back."

"Psyching yourselves up for the competition, I'm guessing. There's nothing to worry about. You two have been more than ready to move on up. You're at an entirely different level than everyone else here."

Well, we would be, Chihaya thought quickly, if this was only about singing.

"When you're done, I've got a surprise for you, okay?" Producer ruffled Chihaya's hair slightly. "Looks like you're up."

"Let's go, Chihaya-chan!"

Chihaya suddenly realized her head was spinning. There was something - something very wrong with all of this, a bad feeling, that she couldn't shake. She almost stammered out some sort of protest, but they were already heading to the stage...they were on the stage...there wasn't anything to be done about it now.

I have to focus, she thought intently, gripping those words, and they kept flowing in her mind over and over. Every motion that she and Azusa were making seemed slightly slower than usual - was the music also slower? It seemed like it.

Keep stepping, she had to keep stepping...she was worried for Azusa, who was standing right over that place that the girl kept scuffing at (why was she so worried about that?) and...was she having trouble with the dance?

At that moment, the only thing Chihaya could think of was Ritsuko's advice. The penalty is higher...if the rest of the unit reacts.

So when Azusa did slip, Chihaya fought not to turn. And yet - there was just something wrong -

And then there was a strange _crack_.

"wha - Azusa-san!"

"Azusa-san!"

The music, the lights, everything seemed to stop a few split seconds too late, as if for a moment, everything had refused to acknowledge what just happened. Azusa was curled up, clutching just above her foot, which was pointing entirely in the wrong direction.

Chihaya was only barely aware of the commotion in the area as she knelt by Azusa. The older woman was trembling, eyes tightly shut, fighting tears. The Producer delicately laid a hand on her shoulder as he fumbled with his cell phone to call for help. Azusa opened her eyes at the touch, looking around without direction for a moment.

"A...Azusa-san?"

There was an apology in Azusa's expression as she looked up to Chihaya.

"I think...that I'll be needing more than just a bit of ice, don't you think?"


	2. Change

Things were slow a few moments before, but now everything came in a rush. One moment Chihaya was kneeling next to Azusa, then she was pulled away, and then Azusa was gone.

People were milling about, and there was a lot of shouting. Many of them were up on the stage for some reason. Chihaya felt a bit helpless, and distantly nauseous.

The Producer was patting her hand and trying to lead her somewhere. She kept looking around, in the crowd, trying to find something familiar. Everything looked very strange and quick.

She spotted two familiar heads - two girls, one in white and pink, one in orange - desperately fighting their way to get out of the mass of people. They were shouting, but Chihaya couldn't make out what they were saying over the din.

Before they were consumed by the crowd again, Chihaya could have sworn she saw one of them make a very specific hand motion near her face, but she couldn't remember what that meant.

"Chihaya, come on. I'll take you home."

"Oh - Producer."

His expression was somewhere between anger and concern, and his mouth was drawn very thin. "Let's go."

Chihaya felt him pull again, and she could do nothing but follow. "N...no!"

"Huh?"

No. Not there, not now.

"I...don't want to go home. Please."

He stopped, and for a moment his expression was blank. Then he sighed and held Chihaya's shoulder, waiting a long moment before speaking.

"I'm going to the hospital. You're welcome to come with, but I'll have to notify your parents."

"That's fine. Let me go with you."

The two of them got into the Producer's car (she had somehow completely forgotten the possibility that he even owned one) and left the area. She stared at her arms straight out in front of her, unable to think anything at all.

The motor was very loud in that silence.

The Producer bared his teeth a bit in annoyance. "Chihaya - my phone's in my coat pocket, could you pick it up?"

"Uh, yes," she answered a second later than she should, and by the time she had his cell phone in her hand, it was shaking very earnestly and playing a bit of music.

She opened it, put it to her ear...and in that moment, try as she might, she could not remember what she was supposed to say.

"**Producer!**"

That scream shot a prickly sensation in Chihaya's ear, but it startled her enough to bring everything into clear focus. "Takatsuki-san? Is that you?"

"Oh, Chihaya? That's good, we were trying to reach you! Your phone wasn't ringing."

Chihaya could also hear another voice clamoring for the phone. "Here, I'll pass you to Haruka!"

"Okay," Chihaya said, though she realized that while the phone was being passed there would be no one to hear that.

"Hello? Chihaya-chan?"

"Yes, it's me." She paused. "What were you doing at the competition?"

"Yayoi and I? The Producer wanted us to watch you perform."

"Oh, I see."

"But, but that's not important! Did you see what happened?"

"Did I...see?"

"When Azusa-san fell! When she - you know when at that point in the dance, right before, you plant your feet apart on the floor, right?" Chihaya felt a pause, and made an assenting noise to prompt Haruka to continue. "Right, and then you have to step and kick out! Well, Azusa-san couldn't...her foot was stuck!"

Chihaya could hear Yayoi agreeing on the other end. "Her foot...stuck?"

"It was all so fast, but Yayoi and I think that's what happened! One of her legs was stuck in that position, and, and then -"

Before, it all seemed unreal. Now that she was provided an image of the incident, Chihaya's stomach clenched at the thought. "Why does it matter?"

"Why does it...Chihaya-chan! Don't you think it was strange? There was definitely something that happened!"

"Yes, something did happen," Chihaya could feel an edge in her voice, "and I don't want to think about it right now. Goodbye, Haruka."

As she hung up, she could hear a slight "Take care".

"There's a bit of traffic," the Producer said, as if apologizing. "It'll be late when we get there."

Chihaya let out her breath in a long sigh. "That's alright."

* * *

Azusa was still being worked on by the time they arrived, so they waited in the lobby for several eternities.

"Chihaya," the Producer gently shook her shoulder. "You there?"

"nuh -" she blearily opened her eyes. "I must have fallen asleep..."

"If you want, you can go see her now," he said as Chihaya rubbed at her eyes. "She's actually doing pretty well, considering."

"That's good to hear..."

Azusa was laying face up on the hospital bed, hands folded on her chest. Her leg was propped up and wrapped, but the foot seemed to be pointing in the right direction again. It seemed very...bizzare, Chihaya thought. The fact that it was in the right direction already. But that made her think of the moment where it _wasn't_, and that made her feel ill.

"Chihaya-chan," Azusa smiled at her as she came in. "Oh, you look like you've been crying..."

"Have I?" Chihaya rubbed at her eyes with a palm again. "Oh, no, I...fell asleep outside."

"Your eyes are all red. Ah..." Azusa sighed. "I'm so sorry for all this."

For some reason, Chihaya did not particularly want to talk, so it was a while before she said anything.

"It wasn't your fault."

"Regardless," Azusa drummed her fingers lightly where they were resting. "I've gone and...caused so much trouble."

Chihaya did not say anything, but scooted the chair she was sitting in a bit closer.

Azusa's expression sobered as she stared upwards. "You felt it as well, didn't you? That something was going to happen."

"...Mm."

Azusa drummed her fingers a little bit more. "Today when I woke up, I had...a feeling that something was different. I did a reading for us..."

"A reading?"

"A tarot reading. I wanted to know what that feeling was...was that perhaps a bit foolish? I just couldn't ignore it..."

Come to think of it, Chihaya thought, that sounded a lot like the _feeling_ that she had right before she went on stage.

"...One of the cards was 'Death'."

Chihaya's entire body clenched when she heard that word. "Death?"

The older woman laughed quietly. "'Death' isn't about dying, Chihaya-chan. 'Death' means 'change'."

"So...a change, then..."

"It seems that way, doesn't it?"

Chihaya had nothing to say about that.

Then, there was a knock on the door, and the Producer motioned her out.

"Your parents want you home, Chihaya. You, and Azusa-san, should be getting some rest."

She surpressed the urge to snort contemptuously at the thought of her parents. "Fine..."

The Producer sighed heavily, clearly the frustrated kind of upset, and lead her to his car.

"What a day," he said under his breath.


	3. Phantom

(This story has been finished for a while - since about August 2010 - so I'm gonna post the rest all at once. Didn't think anybody used the iDOLMSTER section of the site, but that seems different nowadays. Stay tuned for my other story, which is ongoing, to be posted here at some undetermined date.)

* * *

Chihaya's solo career began rather abruptly. Perhaps "solo" was pushing it, as she sometimes joined other groups to provide vocals, but she was an individual now. No longer was she the little blue bird of the Blue Dreams. She was just Chihaya Kisaragi, fast becoming a musical sensation on her own.

The Producer had been understanding at first, excluding her from stage performances out of kindness. Later, he asked, with feigned casualness, if she wanted to try doing the whole dancing thing again.

Chihaya refused.

No longer was she the little blue bird of the Blue Dreams. With her sudden disappearance from the public scene that left only her voice, some took to calling her "the Phantom".

Chihaya didn't care. After all, the reason why she became an idol was to become a professional vocalist. The dancing, the dressing up, and the competitions were just distractions.

About a week after that incident, an investigation team had confirmed the presence of glue on the stage. At around the same time, one of the idols from a rival production stepped up and admitted that they had spread adhesive during their turn on the performance area. Chihaya had to wonder if one was the result of the other.

Not like it mattered. It didn't unbreak Azusa's leg.

Azusa visited 765 pro as often as she could, even if she couldn't participate in any lessons. Chihaya would only catch glimpses of her, busy as she was, so seeing her former partner...became another distraction. It began to irritate her that Azusa would drop by at the very moment that she did not have time to talk. She wanted to concentrate on singing.

Chihaya started to read some of the magazines that the secretary left around. Some of them contained interviews of other idols, information about upcoming releases, and concert ads. Most of it was gossip. There was a fair amount of that concerning the situation of the Blue Dreams, which she always ignored.

Still, she caught some bits and pieces of the rumor mill and word of mouth. The Blue Dreams, which were so beloved before, began to attract some naysayers.

_You know, come to think of it, why were there two of them...? Was that really necessary? And that last stunt they tried to pull...can't say I wasn't expecting that outcome..._

Chihaya tried to close herself off from all of that. She had to concentrate.

She was taking a water break when she noticed three heads focused very intently on the little television in the break room. Without thinking, she approached.

Mami turned towards her. "Chihaya-oneechan! How's things?"

"Well. What is this?"

She could gather that it was some sort of interview. There were two idols, one with long black hair, and another sitting demurely next to her with very light hair - grey or white, maybe even blonde, it was hard to tell with that television. The one with the dark hair was laughing loudly at something the host had just said.

"Remember that duet that creamed us in the last competition? Well, that's them," Ami gestured, hitting Miki's ahoge with her hand. Miki made no outward indication that she had even noticed, so completely fixated was she on the screen.

"Here, lemmie turn up the volume," Mami reached for the remote. The voices slowly became recognizable from the distance Chihaya was standing.

"...successful. A sensation, really, your group, Fae. Some have even likened your exploits to the Blue Dreams of 765 pro."

"What? Are you serious?" the black-haired idol crossed her arms with a huff. "Us, with that...old cow and her prepubescent calf? Really, honestly, you all need to get real!"

Her partner leaned forward. "I have never heard that comparison. That's quite an honor. I'm quite fond of their songs."

"What? No way!" the other one cut in. "I mean - they're _terrible_, it sounds like -" here she cleared her throat dramatically and sang in a ridiculous, off-key falsetto: "_Aoi tori, moshi shiawase -_" The host and the black-haired idol dissolved into laughter.

Both of the twins jumped in their seats, arms swinging. "Boo!"

"Go soak your head!"

Chihaya realized that her entire body was taut with rage. Her face was burning, but that discomfort was nothing compared to the shaking in her hands that she couldn't stop.

"Turn that off," she said as calmly as she could, taking the remote from where it rested on the couch and clicking the off button. The three others looked up at her like toddlers waiting for an inevitable scolding.

"You shouldn't be wasting time watching those _things_. If they beat you, then that means you weren't good enough - didn't try hard enough. You should all be practicing. Do something productive, at least!"

Chihaya shut herself in the recording room for the rest of the day.

* * *

"Are you okay?"

Chihaya looked up from the lyrics she was studying. Miki was leaning towards her with a concerned expression.

"I'm fine."

"You seem out of it lately, Chihaya. Are you sure?"

Chihaya leafed through the lyrics again, even if she had long since committed it all to memory. "Yes, I'm sure. Could we get back to this?"

Miki pouted a little. "We just went over it..."

"I thought that the chorus was a bit weak."

Miki agreed and the two of them ran through it again.

Chihaya thumbed the pages of her songbook again, sighing. "Still not quite right."

"You really think so?" Miki was leaning forward again. "Miki thought that went pretty well."

"Things could always stand to be better."

"Chihaya," Miki frowned in a sad way. "Could you try to be interested in this? Miki really likes this song, and Miki really likes working with Chihaya too. But you're being a real stick in the mud right now."

Chihaya couldn't bring herself to care about that, and simply shrugged.

"You're usually really into singing, Chihaya! What's the matter?"

The thing that is the matter, Chihaya thought, is that it doesn't matter.

"It's this setup. It...lacks permanence."

Miki turned to her songbook, turning some of the pages in a useless gesture. "Miki knows that Miki isn't Azusa..."

Chihaya had nothing to say in response.

* * *

Some months had passed since that night on the stage.

"Chihaya-chan..."

Chihaya stopped in her tracks, turning towards the speaker. "...Hello, Azusa-san."

"I've had my boot off for a while now, and I'm ready to go! I feel great!" Azusa smiled, folding her hands together.

"Boot?" Chihaya looked at the older woman's feet. She was wearing her regular shoes. It took her a moment to realize that the boot she was talking about was the cast. "That's good to hear. Have you told the Producer about it?"

"He knows that it's been off. But, I wanted to see you first, Chihaya-chan."

Chihaya couldn't decide whether or not to approach Azusa or continue going to her former destination. That indecision turned into a swaying motion. "You should tell the others."

Azusa's smile fell slowly. "Chihaya-chan..."

"I have...things. That I have to do." And yet, Chihaya could not move from that spot on the floor.

"Ah...alright," Azusa let her hands fall. "I understand."

Chihaya turned towards the door, letting out a breath she didn't know she was gathering. She took a step in that direction. That did not feel like the right thing to do.

She turned back around and opened her mouth, but nothing came out. The two of them met in the middle of the room soundlessly.

"Welcome back," Chihaya said, though that felt empty compared to the feeling of relief she wanted to express. She looked up into Azusa's face. They were close enough for their foreheads to touch...

"Thank you, Chihaya-chan." And instead of clasping their hands together, she gave her friend a warm hug. "I missed you so very much."

Chihaya put all of her effort into returning the warmth in the embrace.


	4. Intruder

After the excitement over Azusa's recovery had died down, the Producer called her and Chihaya into a quick meeting.

"I'm sorry to start off Azusa-san's return so darkly, but I'm going to be honest with you two. The Blue Dreams...aren't coming back."

Azusa placed her hands on her lap. Chihaya nodded.

"You two are smart girls, I'm sure you've heard what people have been saying about the Blue Dreams. Bringing that back wouldn't be the best course of action."

He paused, his features softening. "I tried to reinvent you...the Blue Dreams that is. That didn't work out very well. I shouldn't've worked you so hard...for that, empty as it may seem, I apologize."

Chihaya turned away slightly. _...It's not your fault._

"I want to reunite the two of you, though. Together, you have...a _power_. However, the critics are right: if both of you were to return as you are now, there would be something lacking. What brought the Blue Dreams down was your similar sound...a lack of contrast."

Chihaya looked up.

"To contrast with the blue, I've decided...to add black." He turned towards the door, a light smile on his face as he spoke over his shoulder. "Isn't that right?"

The door opened after a second of hesitance. Sure enough, behind the door was the idol represented by the color black - Makoto Kikuchi. She stepped into the room, obviously nervous. She straightened, a fist to her chest.

"It's...an honor to work with you two, Chihaya, Azusa-san! I'll do my best!"

Azusa folded her hands together in front of her with a smile. "It'll be a pleasure to work with you, Makoto-chan."

Chihaya let out her breath. "Good morning, Makoto."

The Producer cleared his throat, and the three of them looked at him. "Now...as I've said, the Blue Dreams are not coming back. With this new addition, you are more than that. The Blue Dreams are no longer...

"Now, the three of you will be 'Operation Phantasm'."

Azusa and Makoto seemed pleased with everything. Chihaya felt like everything could only get worse.

* * *

Most of their rehearsals focused on singing, in order to settle into their "new sound". Unfortunately, most of those did not go well. Chihaya tried her best to guide the other two, but it was tiring and frustrating to have to make suggestions all of the time.

"Makoto, you're too loud. Tone down your volume."

"Azusa-san, try going a little higher on this phrase?"

"Makoto, your rhythm is off."

"You're getting the melody wrong, Makoto."

"Hey, why am I always the one who's wrong?"

"You are. That's just how it is."

"What!"

"Chihaya-chan, Makoto-chan...please don't raise your voices..."

Makoto looked like she was about to yell when the Producer barged into the room, absolutely irate. He had his cell phone to his ear, and his eyes darted around the room for a few seconds. Chihaya started, she had never seen the Producer like that. Makoto and Azusa seemed surprised, but not in the same way that she was.

"What is going on here?" he said through gritted teeth.

Azusa placed a hand on her cheek. "Oh, Producer-san," she sighed, "Chihaya-chan is being _difficult_."

Makoto crossed her arms with a huff. Chihaya was still too dumbstruck by how angry the Producer was to dignify that with a response.

The Producer let out a sigh that had some grumble in it. "Cut it _out_," he said under his breath, making a slicing motion before leaving the room. Perhaps it was due to where Chihaya was standing, but she thought that he made it near his neck, and that frightened her even more.

The three of them were left with a very poignant silence.

"I'm very sorry," Azusa laid her songbook on her stand and made her way towards the door. "But please excuse me."

"Azusa-san!" Makoto called after her, dashing in her direction before realizing she still had her songbook in her hand. She hastily arranged it on her stand before running again. "Azusa-san!"

Chihaya swallowed before she put her book down and followed.

* * *

The Producer had called Makoto to a private meeting, leaving Azusa and Chihaya in the break room.

"Chihaya-chan, please be honest. Do you dislike Makoto-chan?" Azusa asked, leaning towards her friend.

Chihaya stared ahead as she took a sip of her water. "I don't. But I don't like her either."

"Really," Azusa said, sighing.

"She is...awkward," Chihaya ventured, swallowing. "Her look, that is."

"Do you think so? I think she is a very handsome young lady."

"Exactly. Girls are not supposed to be _handsome_, Azusa-san."

Azusa sighed again. "Please, could you try to get along with Makoto-chan? She tries very hard, and I'm sure this will be easier if we were all friends."

Chihaya said nothing. Azusa laid a hand on her leg.

"Please."

"...Alright. I will try."


	5. Harmony

Chihaya never knew how hard it was to hold her own tongue.

She respected Azusa enough to honor her request and stop being so harsh on Makoto, but meeting up with the other members of Operation Phantasm was something that she began to dread. Things felt...out of place.

When they were in the practice room one day, the Producer motioned Chihaya out and brought her to a little office.

"Alright," he said, closing the door as Chihaya walked to the middle of the room. "Don't even try to make excuses; you're clearly upset. What's the matter?"

If she possessed less control, Chihaya would have immediately responded "Everything!". She almost said something similarly pointed, but checked herself with a slight click of her tongue.

"Don't lie," the Producer said. It was a warning.

She turned to face him, collecting her words and her breath for a moment. "Producer, I do not believe 'Operation Phantasm' is going to be a success."

"Why sell yourself so short? You haven't even performed together yet. You _will_ be performing," he said the last part with a hardness that Chihaya did not expect from him. A few days ago, she was frightened by the side of him that contained his anger. Now, she was too indignant to be intimidated. "And I think you three are going to do fine. Outstanding, even."

"It isn't working out," Chihaya said firmly.

She expected him to object, but he raised his eyebrows in some sort of darkly amused manner. He sat by her on a desk, closing the book he was leafing through.

"Alright then," he said. "Tell me why."

Being allowed to express herself freely was not what she was expecting, so she paced around the room to think about what she was going to say. She had so _much_ to say.

"It's that...it's Makoto," she began.

She waited for the Producer to say something. He didn't. That angered her so much she didn't bother trying to be polite.

"That...nobody, she has no image whatsoever, just stuck wherever there's room and now you've dumped her on _us_," she barked over her shoulder. She started pacing again. "Has a voice like a crow - why couldn't you group us with Hagiwara-san, or Minase-san even?"

"Makoto can sing very well," the Producer said evenly.

"Csh!"

"Have you even heard her sing, Chihaya?"

"Yes, once," Chihaya said, facing him. "With Takatsuki-san and Haruka."

"She had a good run with the two of them."

"That concert was a _disgrace_."

He was raising his eyebrows again. "Which one?"

"The one where they sang _Do-Dai_," she said, bluntly.

"Well," he said after a few seconds, looking aside...as if he had thought to make an excuse but decided not to in the end. Chihaya snorted softly and started pacing again.

"Hardly even looks like a girl," she continued. "Much too bold, too loud, in her movements, you could not have chosen a worse match, Producer!"

She glared at him. He returned her gaze with a calmness that was infuriating. Her pacing had brought her directly in front of him.

"Did you put her with us because she can _dance_? To make up for the fact that neither I or Azusa-san are particularly good at it? If that was your intention, Ritsuko would have been a far better choice!" The Producer's silence was beginning to worry her, and there was a note of panic in her voice. "Producer, she has no place with us!"

"That's enough," he said, placing the book he was holding between her eyes, hitting her nose. The tiny pain was enough to startle her into silence. "Clearly you have no idea what you're talking about."

Chihaya's mouth squirmed. "But." It was too embarrassing to continue that sentence.

"Chihaya, that concert was months ago. Back then, not even you and Azusa-san were at any sort of level. Maybe you've forgotten, but everyone starts somewhere."

"She's hardly done anything with herself since," Chihaya said under her breath.

"Give her a chance, Chihaya. Maybe you'll learn something," he said, rising. "In the meantime, it's time for lunch."

He left to tell Makoto and Azusa. Chihaya examined the uncertain silence in her thoughts for a moment, before deciding to head out as well.

* * *

Now Chihaya had both Azusa and the Producer expecting her to play along with this Operation Phantasm idea. She had to admit (with difficulty) that Makoto did not lack enthusiasm, at least. But Chihaya did not quite like her...priorities.

"Not everyone can sing like you can," Azusa had said, but that didn't make her any less frustrated. After all, Makoto's career was likely hanging on the success of the group. So why wasn't she more committed to it? Chihaya had worked with Azusa before, and the two of them knew how to compliment one another. Makoto, on the other hand, had a lot of catching up to do, and her progress was maddeningly slow due to those other (unrelated, and unimportant) things she had to, chose to do.

Even Azusa didn't work as hard as Chihaya would have hoped she would. She was content to stop when asked to, even if there was so, so much more work to do.

Chihaya had the impression that every time they made progress, the next time they would meet, they had to retrace those steps again. It was maddening, but at the same time...she had no anger anymore. She just felt defeated, as if this was some sort of punishment she had to get through. She could think of many reasons why she would be punished.

Every time, it felt like they were on a verge of a breakthrough, if only they had more time or tried harder. Maybe it was her fault they couldn't succeed. It could have been anything at that point.

It was a Friday evening when she finally felt like they had figured something out. Just what it was was escaping them - like something on the tip of each one of their tongues and minds, but _tangible_.

And then Makoto's phone rang. It was like dropping a hammer.

"Ah...let me get that," she said after some hesitation, stepping away from her stand and putting the phone to her ear. Her back was to the other two.

"Hey. ...Dad? What's going on, I'm busy -

"Dad - Dad. Come on - nnh." she began to pound a fist lightly on the side of her leg. "...Right. Yeah, alright. ...Okay. I'll be there soon." Then she hung up and returned to her stand, expression dark, and began organizing the papers on it.

"Makoto-chan? Is there an emergency?" Azusa asked gently.

"I have to go," she said, each word clipped. She left without saying anything else, closing the door with something more gentle than a slam.

"My, my," Azusa sighed after a moment. "I guess we have to end practice early."

Chihaya fought to keep her mind blank as she lay on her bed at home, because she feared what she would think if she did not restrain herself. It was...easier than she had expected. No anger, no disappointment. Just an empty head. She could hear her parents yelling from the other room, but she couldn't bring herself to care about that. She just felt very tired.

She began to hear a song, and it took her a few seconds to realize it was coming from her phone. She heaved herself to one side to reach for it, clicking it open and plopping her hand next to her face.

"Chihaya Kisaragi speaking."

"Oh." she couldn't recognize the voice on the other end through that word alone. It was a moment before they spoke again. "I...didn't think you'd pick up. Eheheh..."

It was Makoto.

"What is it?" Chihaya asked, putting an arm across her forehead.

"Well it's...I got everything taken care of with my dad, and I was wondering if you and Azusa would meet up with me so we could keep practicing!"

Chihaya blinked a few times. "Eh?"

"If we hurry, the office should still be open! I...it was my fault we had to stop, and I want to make it up a little. Nnngh, it's just - we were just so close! And then my dad had to go and bother me, I'm _really_ sorry about that..."

Chihaya rose to a sitting position. "Yes, we were. Close..."

"I tried calling Azusa-san but she isn't picking up. Do you know where she is, or where she lives? We have to get a hold of her, quick!"

"She should have her phone with her," Chihaya said slowly, tucking some hair behind her ear. "I'll call her."

"Wait don't hang up -! I said I already called her! Her phone must be dead, don't bother!"

Chihaya had forgotten that possibility. "Then...it might be possible she went home, but she has to take a train in order to do that..."

"What, really? You serious?"

Chihaya looked at the clock on her desk. "...Though, she takes the evening train. We have about a quarter of an hour."

"We have to hurry, then! I'll meet you at the plaza by the mall, okay?" Makoto didn't give her a chance to agree or disagree, as she had hung up. Not like Chihaya wanted to negotiate things, as she knew that would only waste time.

She was breathless by the time she had gotten out of her apartment building. Things felt like they were picking up, somehow. She just hoped her luck would hold.

"Chihaya!" Makoto ran up to her. "We have to get to the train station!"

"Yes," Chihaya nodded as they dashed off in that direction. There wasn't any time to waste.

They searched the station up and down, going over it twice even, but Azusa wasn't anywhere to be found.

"Did you see -"

"No, I didn't -"

"Where else could she be?" Makoto panted, hands on her knees.

Chihaya frantically combed her head for some clue, wiping off some sweat. "...She might...be in front of the studio."

"The studio? Not the office?"

"I don't know. We have to try."

Azusa was not at the studio either.

"Sunnova -" Makoto gritted her teeth. The two of them, breathless, returned to the plaza and headed for the park, out of ideas.

By some miracle, Azusa was sitting on one of the benches there.

"Azusa-san!"

"Azusa-san!"

"Oh?" the older woman stood as she saw the two of them, laughing softly as they nearly ran into her in their excitement. "What brings you here?"

"Azusa-san, we have to -" Makoto gasped, bent double. "The offices, have to get to the offices."

Azusa leaned back a little, a finger to the side of her mouth in thought. "...The offices? But I'm trying to find the train station..."

"Azusa-san, please!" Chihaya squeezed out as much volume as she could from her aching lungs.

"Ah...alright, we must go," Azusa said, sobering even if it was clear that she had no idea what was going on. She took Makoto and Chihaya's hands in hers and started to walk at a brisk pace.

"Azusa-san, that's the wrong way...!"

"Ah...my, my..."

By the time they made it to the offices, it was getting hard to see. What wasn't hard to see, unfortunately, was that the building was locked.

Makoto clutched the sides of her head in exasperation, uttering a wordless groan that dissolved into a trail of curses that Chihaya had never even thought could be strung together.

"What was it that you wanted to come here for?" Azusa asked gently.

"It's...I wanted to bring us together so we could practice," Makoto hung her head. "Since it was my fault we had to split up so early and all."

Azusa folded her hands together. "Is that it? Well, what's stopping us from practicing right here?"

Chihaya and Makoto stared at her.

"I believe," she said, her eyes closing as she brought her hands closer to her face, "that we could do just as well outside of the practice room, if we so wanted to. Call it...a presage, if it makes you feel better. Fu fu."

Chihaya and Makoto looked at each other. For some reason that idea had never crossed their minds.

"But...we don't have our songbooks," Chihaya ventured.

"Oh, those silly things," Azusa huffed good-naturedly. "We don't need them. They're so...formulaic, don't you think? What we need to do is work together. We shouldn't have to have someone or something tell us how to do that."

...Yes, that was...what they had to do. Just work together, Chihaya thought. Find a harmony.

They retraced their steps, and park was filled with the voices of three tired but happy young women.


	6. Live

It felt like Operation Phantasm was a unit now...an incredibly mismatched unit, but a unit nonetheless. Chihaya found herself leaving practice sessions with an absence of ill feeling. There was, however, a sense of lingering danger, as they would doubtless be called upon to perform soon, far before they were ready...but other than that, she felt much better than before.

It was somewhat alarming, but not entirely unwelcome. For the time being, she continued to practice with her two partners.

Since Makoto was a capable dancer, the three of them would often practice their dancing under her instruction. Chihaya often questioned this logic, wondering if it would be better to have someone else supervise at least, but she kept it to herself. Today the Producer was watching from a seat by the side wall, facing the mirror the three idols were standing by.

They hadn't had many practice sessions for their dancing, so Makoto wasn't really used to leading the other two. She stood for a moment, turned towards the mirror, clapped her hands and rubbed them together before speaking.

"So...today I wanted us to try something different, just to get our timings together. I thought it would be better if we took a break from our usual routine."

She paused for a second, looking up from her hands. Chihaya wondered if Makoto had heard something, but there was silence in the room.

"I'm going to show you a new dance, once with the music and then slowed down. I'd like each of you to do it once before we do it all together," Makoto said as she placed a CD into the player. "Watch closely..."

It was a song that Chihaya had never heard before, and a dance that she was completely unfamiliar with. It was just the instrumental track, so there were no words to help her identify the song. It had a lot of brass, and guitar...she felt as if she should have known it, but could not give it a name. Makoto was humming occasionally, but not often enough for Chihaya to infer anything.

"Did you get all that?"

Azusa nodded, a surprisingly determined expression on her face. Chihaya made an idle assenting motion, though she had largely spent the time trying to figure out what the song was.

Makoto flashed a grin and repeated the dance, pointing out each movement as she performed it. Then, she watched the two others try it themselves.

"Chihaya, you did pretty good. Azusa-san..." she paused, a hand holding her chin as she thought. Azusa bit her lip almost imperceptibly.

"You know what, let's all do it at the same time. I need to see it how it comes together."

She turned on the music and the three of them stepped and swayed in front of the mirror.

"Wait - stop," Makoto said suddenly on their third run-through, fumbling to turn off the music. "Azusa-san, you're a little late on that last part. You're supposed to already have your hands on your hips right at that point."

The older woman ducked her head a little. "But, I start the movements at the same time the two of you do..."

"Yeah, I know. That's what's odd," Makoto had her hand on her chin again and was looking up into the mirror, as she did before. Chihaya found that action strange, and it took her a moment to figure out why - Makoto's gaze was not at any of their reflections, but rather at a point somewhere between them. When Chihaya found that point, she realized that she was looking at the reflection of the Producer...who was wearing an uncharacteristically grave expression.

She shuddered despite herself.

"It's not just then, either. You know when to start certain movements, but then you get out of sync somewhere in between. You end up cutting out some of the movements to catch up. It's not always noticeable, but..." Makoto trailed off. Chihaya saw her eyes shift, but they were unfocused, deep in thought. "It's a problem, all right..."

Makoto straightened after a moment. "Azusa-san, why don't you try to move a little faster than Chihaya and I?"

"I'll do my best!"

The next run-through went much smoother than before.

"So, I think we got it. Azusa-san just needs to think about moving more quickly, and we match up."

"Is it because she was moving slower than the two of us before?" Chihaya asked.

"Maybe. Or it could just be that she has to move more because she's taller than both of us so she has more ground to cover. Anyway, now that we've figured that out, I think it'll make our regular routine more synchronized!"

Azusa smiled her patient smile and sighed in relief.

* * *

Chihaya crossed paths with the Producer later that day while she was on break.

"Producer, do you have a minute?"

"I have several," the Producer said around a straw as he sipped a beverage. "What is it?"

"Well," Chihaya began, "did you know, by any chance, what the song Makoto was using today in practice was?" It had been bothering her almost the entire afternoon.

The Producer took a long gulp of his drink, a boyish look on his face that she had not seen for a while. It was relieving that he was being casual again, as he had been rather curt with them for the last few days, but at the same time it was irritating that he was deliberately taking so long to respond.

"Why don't you come tomorrow night and see Makoto perform it?"

"So it's one of our songs?" she remarked. "I've never heard it before."

"That's because we've kept it a secret," he said. "Come to the concert tomorrow and show your support, it'll be Makoto's last as a soloist for a while."

"I'd just like to hear it once -"

The Producer patted her on the head. "You'll have to come to the concert if you want to hear it. You'll be with the others, hey? You'll have a good time, I think."

He gave her a ticket shortly afterwards. She felt as if it was all quite silly and unnecessary, but decided to play along regardless.

* * *

Chihaya had no idea that such a small performance hall could fit so many girls, and their shouts and screams. She could barely feel herself think and her ears felt numb. She knew this feeling, as she would often be greeted with a similar deafening sound when she appeared onstage, but that would only last for a short while. To be stuck with it with no sign of relief...she was beginning to regret her decision to come along.

And Makoto hadn't even come onstage yet. Why on earth were all of these girls making such a racket? And then there was the fact that she couldn't even stand without being jostled, and she could barely see the stage...

A hand grabbed her arm and yanked her into the crowd. Chihaya yelped despite herself, and almost resisted, but her feet could not plant themselves on the floor. After wrestling her way past several people, she saw a familiar blonde streak of hair, and was eventually pulled into an open space near the stage.

"Miki's been trying to get your attention for the past ten minutes! Any later and there wouldn't be any space left here!" Miki had to shout in order to be heard over the noise.

"You could have texted me about it -"

"Miki can't hear you!" the blonde leaned in with a hand to her ear.

"You should have sent me a text!" Chihaya raised her voice, not wanting to resort to shouting yet.

"Oh right! Well, whatever! We're here and that's what's important!" Miki laughed and grinned. Another girl nearby huddled closer.

"Hagiwara-san, you're here as well?" Chihaya cupped her hands around her mouth in an attempt to make herself heard.

"Yes, I came to see Makoto-chan!" the girl in white shouted, her voice shrill. "I didn't know that you were also a fan, Chihaya!"

"Well, I was invited," Chihaya tried to explain, but there was a surge in noise as the lights focused on the stage. _Finally_, she thought, _this thing is about to start._

Makoto came onto the stage in a bold black and gold outfit, greeting the enthusiastic fans with a few acknowledgements before launching into her first song. Chihaya had to admit, she knew how to work a crowd.

She was singing songs that Chihaya had heard already, though. Some of which she preferred another one of her colleague's vocals to, no less. Surely the Producer hadn't sent her here as a trick, had he?

Then the lights dimmed, the music stopped, and the crowd's noise fell to a murmur. Chihaya looked around, but no one seemed shocked or surprised. Whatever was going on, it was intentional, and expected. She had no idea what it was, though.

She realized Miki was gripping her arm again, with surprising force. Even Yukiho had an anticipating expression, bouncing her fists up and down.

Makoto was looking offstage, and caught a hat as it was tossed to her from there. There was an eruption of whoops and applause as she caught it and placed it on her head, slightly askew.

"It's coming! It's coming!" Miki shrieked with a rasp that Chihaya could tell meant that the other was losing her voice.

"Miki, you must take care of your voice, you have an interview tomorrow -" Chihaya yelped, but she could barely hear herself. "What is going on?"

Then, there was a ringing sound...and the lights were flashing again. Chihaya nearly flinched; she _knew_what this song was before she realized what it was. Then she recognized the sharp turns of the dance...

Makoto was singing in a voice Chihaya had never heard out of her. She couldn't tell whether or not the energy of the room was getting to her or the discovery excited her so much, so many things were going through her mind. How? Why hadn't she heard this before? And what exactly was she singing?

And then the music had stopped again and Makoto was waving to the crowd. It was over. Chihaya had the distinct feeling of being left hanging in the air.

Miki and Yukiho both looked exhausted, but extremely happy. "Chihaya had a funny face during that song," the blonde laughed, coughing due to the scratchiness of her throat.

"What?" Chihaya said, idiotically.

"We should meet up with Makoto-kun at back," Miki declared, making her way through the crowd. Yukiho followed closely, turning back to look at Chihaya when she did not join them.

"I...I need to get some fresh air," she offered as an apology, and left the concert hall. The night had left her with a disorienting mixture of feelings, most of which she couldn't identify. She didn't know what to make of all of this...and, she realized with a jolt, she had failed to figure out what the song was about. She could hum the vocals, but try as she might, she could not remember what the words were. She had forgotten to commit the words to memory. She couldn't believe that she got so caught up in the moment, so she sent a message to the other idols telling them that she was going home and left the building.

* * *

Chihaya arrived at 765 Pro earlier than usual, hoping to run into the Producer. He was nursing a coffee in the break room when she found him.

"Good morning, Producer."

"Chihaya, good morning. Did you like the concert?"

"It was...an experience," she offered. "I would like to hear her finale again, if you don't mind."

He stood with an amused sigh. "You really won't give up on that song, huh? Is it that important to you?"

She paused. "Yes."

"Well then," he said under his breath, gesturing for her to follow him. "Were you thinking of performing it yourself?"

"No," she shook her head. "But if I were to see the lyrics, I would be able to remember how she sang it more easily."

"How she sang it?" the Producer repeated, pulling a file from his desk. "Hm, alright - you can look through this songbook, but give it back when you're done - we don't have many copies."

Chihaya took it from him smartly, flipping through the pages to start reading. Her eyes flickered through the lines, darting past them as she put together the melody line to the words -

When she realized the meaning of the words, she went through them again to make sure she wasn't mistaken. Again and again she read the lines, hoping that she had just misinterpreted it, but no matter what kinds of reasoning she used, it all ended up being...

The Producer chuckled darkly. "So, what do you think?"

"This song is very..." she began, at a loss. "Lewd."

"I hope you understand why I tried to keep it a secret," he took a sip of his coffee. "In fact, I didn't want any of you to perform it at all."

"So," Chihaya looked up from the songbook. "How come Makoto is performing it?"

He sat on the desk, a hand propping up his chin. "It wasn't my idea."

She waited for him to continue.

"We keep all the songs we have on file, whether or not we intend to have any of you perform it. I was supposed to get a new song for Ami and Mami, but then the President had called me away to take care of something...trivial. I had left the files open," he explained. "The two of them got in and rifled through everything, and found that very file that you're holding. They must have been very amused by it, because they kept it for a while...and then they gave it to Makoto."

"Why would they do that?"

"You'll have to ask them yourselves. In any case, Makoto liked the song as well and was practicing it on her own. When I found out, I decided to let her include it in her set, since she had already worked so hard on it," the Producer shrugged.

"By herself?" Chihaya flipped through the pages again. She was somewhat impressed. "I never knew."

"If things had worked out like I wanted to, she would have never found that song...but it ended up being a blessing for her," he admitted. "It suits her well, and she likes it. It worked out favorably in the end."

She turned the pages back and forth, shaking her head. "I can't believe you never told me about this."

"Believe me, I was about to lock it away before the twins got to it -"

"No," she cut in. "I meant that Makoto was working on it. I would have liked to have known about that...that she was capable of such a voice, I've never heard her use it before. It was...dark, confident, totally unlike anything she uses in her other songs. If I had known about that...we could have tried to work it into the Operation Phantasm set somehow."

The Producer took another swig of his coffee. "Until she showed me how she performed this song, I had no idea she could sing like that either."

"But couldn't you have -" Chihaya began to say and stopped. "...You had no idea?"

He arched his eyebrows in that _didn't you just hear what I said?_ fashion.

"But you're our producer. You should be able to know how to best use our talents and decide what's best for each of us. And you _didn't_ know that she had that kind of range?"

"No," he said with perfect, unapologetic honesty. That only made her more concerned.

"So it took you this," she held up the songbook, knowing she was repeating herself at this point, "to find out about the extent of Makoto's capabilities and get her to use them?"

He looked aside, letting out his breath in a sigh. "You forget," he said, "that I'm only one man."

She opened her mouth to respond, but then decided against it. She looked back down at the songbook, examined it for a final time, and gave it back to him. "My apologies."

"No problem," the Producer said, tucking the songbook away back into the desk. "Just keep working hard." He ruffled her hair slightly and left the room to attend to other matters.

Chihaya touched the top of her head briefly. She could still feel the warmth of his hand. She chuckled shortly, and went to meet up with the other idols.


	7. Crescendo

Chihaya had told Azusa about her find as soon as she was able.

"I'm so glad you had fun at the live," Azusa smiled, folding her hands together. "It's good that you're supporting Makoto-chan."

Chihaya ignored those comments. "There was something about that voice," she said urgently. "If only we had known about it sooner."

"Why is that?"

"It would have been useful."

"Are you talking about our practice sessions? We've all made a lot of progress together regardless," Azusa tilted her head slightly. "There is more to performing than singing," she added after a brief pause.

Chihaya let out her breath when she heard that. "I don't like it when you say that."

"It doesn't make it any less true."

"No. But I don't like it."

"Don't you want to go back onstage?" Azusa put a hand on the other's shoulder. "I will be there, and so will Makoto-chan. I'm sure that you'll make a lot of people happy if you come back."

Chihaya shifted, but didn't brush the hand away. "It's...been a long time."

Azusa smiled calmly at her, and joined their hands. "If you're nervous, then we have something for that."

Chihaya chuckled once. "Yes."

* * *

When the three of them met up again for a review of their set, Chihaya couldn't help but feel like the air was charged. The other two had no idea, of course, but the gravity of her discovery - and the knowledge that she should do something about it - honestly left her at a bit of a loss. Things were progressing as usual and that bothered her.

It wasn't that there was anything wrong - it was just not -

"Stop - stop!" Chihaya said suddenly, crossing her arms in an X in front of her chest. The other two looked at her in a shock that she was expecting. That didn't make what she wanted to say any easier, though.

Makoto tucked her chin, as she was used to the idea that mistakes were her fault. "What'd I do?" she said in a small voice, looking up at Chihaya.

"It's not that," Chihaya said quickly, though that didn't clarify anything and she knew it. She didn't know how to phrase what she was trying to get across, which was infuriating. Normally this sort of thing was easy to talk about.

The silence only seemed to unnerve Makoto more, and she started to shift her weight between her feet, looking back and forth to the two others.

Chihaya reached across and placed her hands on Makoto's shoulders. Makoto opened her mouth as if to say something, but Chihaya tightened her grip briefly and she was quiet.

"Makoto, I _know_ you can sing better than this," Chihaya said, shaking the other a little. "Don't...force yourself. You sound unnatural."

Makoto clenched her eyes shut for a moment. "I'm trying to match up with you two!"

"But it's not _right!_" Chihaya didn't raise her voice, but she knew that she said that too forcefully. She took a few breaths to keep herself from saying something rash.

She felt another hand on top of hers, and looked up to see Azusa smiling at the two of them. Makoto slowly looked up as well.

"Makoto-chan...what Chihaya-chan is trying to say is that you are not singing in the style that you are used to," the older woman said. "And, as a result, you are not at your best."

"I'm trying," Makoto peeped.

"Sing in a way that you are comfortable," Azusa assured her, giving her an encouraging nudge. "Chihaya-chan and I will adjust to you."

Makoto was clearly unconvinced. Chihaya straightened, took a slow breath, and spoke evenly.

"Makoto, I saw your concert the other day, and the way you performed was excellent. You had energy and drive. I...please, channel that. Your finale especially."

Makoto brightened. "You liked that?"

"Yes!" Chihaya answered quickly, realizing what she said a second later. "Yes, I did. I want you to sing like that if you can. If you can bring that passion to our set...then I know we can make this work."

"Will do!" Makoto grinned.

* * *

Operation Phantasm was supposed to debut at a gathering of productions, but the three of them had requested a delay. The Producer, in a surprising show of leniency, allowed their debut to be put off. After all, there was very little that was revealed about what their unit actually was (there were some stray rumors about the Blue Dreams being reformed, but as far as everyone was concerned, it would be returning as a duet) and, he said, there was no harm in holding back. In fact, it might be best to show a more established unit at the gathering.

Chihaya was extremely grateful for the extension, and determined to make the request worthwhile. But, in the meantime, there was the gathering to attend. All of 765 Pro were present to show their support, and it would be a good opportunity to see what they were going to be up against.

As the gathering was a somewhat casual affair, most of the productions milled about while they waited for their timeslot. Chihaya could recognize only a few girls as some she had seen in competitions long ago. For some reason, that was comforting.

She had a quick memory of the unit that had done that despicable thing months earlier, and was more pleased than she should have been to see that they weren't present. She knew that any smart production would disband such a unit when news like that got out, but couldn't help but feel a little triumphant.

She walked around a bit aimlessly, with Azusa at her side. Makoto joined them after meeting up with the others.

"There's so many people," Azusa remarked, to no one in particular. "And to think, all of them are gathered here for the love of performance."

"There is the promise of publicity," Chihaya said idly.

"And chocolate medals," Makoto said. "They should've just given those out to everyone. I could really go for one now."

"Producer-san said that we'd all be eating lunch together soon. You wouldn't want to spoil your appetite, would you?"

"Chocolate doesn't take up any space!"

"Some refreshments, at least, would have been a good idea," Chihaya sighed. While the convention center was large, the sheer amount of people made it very hot. Walking around made it a little more bearable.

"Hey, I found a vent," Makoto waved the other two over and they stood under the cool air, watching people pass by.

"Kisaragi Chihaya...it is good to see you again."

Chihaya turned towards the voice, finding herself facing a tall idol with faint grey hair. She knew who she was immediately. "Hello...Takane."

The other nodded acknowledgement. "And Miura Azusa, Kikuchi Makoto. A pleasure."

Azusa bowed in response. Makoto seemed too awed to say anything.

"Will you be performing?" Takane had turned back to Chihaya. "I had missed seeing the Blue Dreams onstage so much. Will you be giving us the honor today?" She extended a warm hand.

Chihaya took it and shook it politely. "Not today. Soon," she said, waiting for the other to let go. "But not as the Blue Dreams. I am...of Operation Phantasm, now."

The other idol smiled, amusement in her eyes. "Intriguing..."

There was a shouting racket that had been steadily approaching the group for some time now, and it was rapidly getting louder. It seemed to be entirely the doing of a single girl, who was stomping towards them with intent.

"There you are!" the black-haired girl jabbed a finger down, taking Takane's arm. "I look away for one second and you're off _fraternizing_ with the enemy! What'm I gonna do with you?" She looked over at the other idols, as if noticing them for the first time. "Who're these freaks?"

Her friend leaned down to speak closer to her ear. After a moment, her expression darkened in disdain. "Oh. You guys," she broke away from Takane and took a step forward, leaning with hands on her hips. She indicated Makoto with a flick of her head. "So did the cow have another calf while we weren't looking?"

Makoto bristled, stepping forward. Takane laid a hand on the other's back. "Hibiki, we should be heading back to prepare."

"Feh," Hibiki straightened, taking Takane's arm again and dashing off. "If I see you onstage, you're _dead!_" she shouted over her shoulder.

The suddenness of it all left Operation Phantasm in an uneasy silence. Finally, Azusa said, "It's nice to see that the competition is so spirited."

"That girl is just asking for it," Makoto crossed her arms. "Why I almost..."

"Don't let it get to you," Chihaya turned. "We have other concerns."

"Yeah," Makoto admitted grudgingly. The three of them started for the area that 765 Pro was settled in. "Did you see? Takane, of the Fae! She knew who I was!"


	8. Vivace

"It's been a while since you were here, huh?"

"Yes," Chihaya said, calmly fiddling with her headset. Azusa nodded as well. Makoto was tapping her fingers together.

"You'll be up soon, after this song," the Producer told the three of them. "Good luck."

He got up to attend to something, but Azusa intercepted him between the door. They weren't speaking loud enough for Chihaya to hear them, so she focused her attention on what parts of the song she could hear from backstage.

There was a sound and movement that she wasn't expecting, and it made her turn towards it. Makoto was wringing her hands and muttering.

"Makoto," Chihaya sat near her. "Quit worrying."

"Oh geez," Makoto shook her head, burying her face in her hands. "Did you see the crowd out there?"

"Yes."

"It's huge!"

Chihaya didn't have anything to say about that. She couldn't remember if she had seen crowds bigger or smaller. She didn't like to pay attention to the numbers.

"It's like, ten times bigger than anything I've ever seen before," Makoto clenched her hair. "Oh my god."

"They're just people," Chihaya said.

"But there's so many!"

Chihaya sighed and pushed the other's shoulder so that they were facing each other.

"Chihaya?"

She linked their hands and touched their foreheads together. Makoto jumped, but not enough to bump into her.

"Chi...Chihaya, what's going on -"

"Quiet," Chihaya said quickly. "Just breathe."

Makoto only seemed to be getting more nervous, and Chihaya could feel her trembling and making a sort of whining noise. She gritted her teeth at that.

"Chihaya-chan? Makoto-chan?"

Chihaya opened an eye to see Azusa leaning towards them with a quizzically amused expression.

"It's not working."

Azusa chuckled and sat by the two of them, separating them with a gentle push. "Perhaps, then, we can all try it together?"

Makoto let out her breath in a loud sigh, clearly distraught. Her mouth was drawn thin as if she was trying to keep herself from bursting into tears.

"Oh, Makoto-chan...you'll be fine. Please don't worry."

Makoto blinked hard a few times, and finally made a short screaming noise.

"Come now," Azusa said softly but firmly, pushing her fingers between the two of theirs. "We are here. There's nothing to be done about that. Soon we will be out there - on the stage. If the fans see you sad, they'll be sad as well."

"Ghh..."

Azusa leaned in, prompting the other two to do the same and form a sort of triangle with their foreheads. "Close your eyes. Create some quiet within yourself...if only for this moment."

Chihaya sighed to begin breathing deeply. After a moment, she felt another hand - Makoto's - push into hers.

She lightly pressed into it and felt a similar push in return.

"Operation Phantasm," she heard the Producer say. "You're up."

The three of them untangled and got up. "Alright," Azusa said confidently, adjusting her headset. "You'll see, this'll be fun!"

* * *

Chihaya knew that the concert was a success.

It was only until the next day that she knew just how big of a success it was.

"Chihaya-oneechan! Chihaya-oneechan!" the two Futamis squealed, waving a paper in front of her face. "You guys made a killing!"

"What - stop moving around," Chihaya waved them off. "Slow down, please."

"Look here, there's a bunch of words that talk about how you guys were amazing," Ami pointed all over the article.

"Mami found another!" she held up a magazine. "And Piyo-chan is finding tons on the internet!"

"Oh."

"Chihaya-chan! Congratulations!" Haruka came in when she saw Chihaya through the door. "All your hard work paid off!"

"Now you just have to follow it up with something even better," Ritsuko patted her on the back. "With all the fuss, it looks like it might be a tough act to beat."

"Er...yes...thank you, excuse me," Chihaya fought to get past the gathering group of idols coming in to offer their congratulations. She just wanted to find her unitmates.

"There she is! Chihaya!" Makoto took her arm as she finally managed to get to the hall. "Come on, the Producer is taking us out!"

"But!" Chihaya protested as she was dragged away. "What about -"

"Ice cream, Chihaya, ice cream!" Makoto turned back to grin at her. "We'll do whatever later!"

"Why?" Chihaya gasped as the members of Operation Phantasm waited outside the building.

"Oh, I suppose you don't remember," Azusa put her finger to her cheek in mock-thought. "Producer-san once promised us a surprise, but then...things happened. I thought I'd remind him last night, so he's treating us today."

Chihaya had honestly forgotten. "I see," she said as to not look foolish.

* * *

She didn't think she would, but Chihaya rather enjoyed herself at the parlor, during the performance, even at practices. 765 Pro was becoming a lively place, with frequent jobs and offers giving everyone something to do. Being so busy was a good feeling. She had never done so many things when she was a soloist.

Still, there was an obligation in the back of her mind, a sort of niggly feeling of something she should do. So she found the two Futamis sprawled on the couch playing on their handhelds.

"Ami, Mami...do you have a moment?"

"One sec, Ami has to kill Mami's buildings first," the one on the right said, pointing and clicking furiously.

"Surprise rush!" the one on the left grinned, and the other's expression changed to one of horrified disbelief.

"No way! Mami, you cheated!" But the two of them were rolling around laughing soon enough.

"So what did Chihaya-oneechan want to talk about?"

Chihaya sat on the cushion opposite them. "I just wanted to thank you. ...For helping put together Operation Phantasm."

The two twins looked at her with questioning expressions.

"The two of you gave...that song to Makoto. Because of that, we were able to discover a style from her that Azusa-san and I had synergy with. For that, I cannot thank you enough."

"Oh, so it's about that!" Ami leaned towards her sister.

"It was nothing," Mami did the same, so that the two of them were almost touching heads.

"It was not nothing," Chihaya said. It didn't feel like giving thanks if they didn't accept it.

The two Futamis looked at each other for a brief moment. "Well, in that case, you can call us - Ami and Mami: talent scout extraordinaires!"

"And give Ami and Mami royalties."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Aww."

* * *

It was hard to believe, but Operation Phantasm seemed to be even more popular than the Blue Dreams were. In any case, their concerts were extremely well-attended, and their success showed no signs of letting up. That only motivated them to try harder. Out of any of the 765 Pro units, Operation Phantasm had the most lessons - whether or not they were organized by the Producer. Meeting up and working together just became natural.

The three of them were taking a breather from a dancing routine they were practicing. They had decided to sit on the steps outside, as it was cooler there than in the practice hall.

"Makoto-chan, is there something the matter?" Azusa leaned over to have a better look at her face. Chihaya glanced over as well. Makoto had a very serious, pondersome expression.

"We're not at a photoshoot," Chihaya said. The other two looked up. "So you don't need to pose like that."

Makoto smiled and offered a weak laugh. "No, I was just...thinking about stuff." She took a gulp of water instead of continuing.

"What kind of stuff?" Azusa asked.

Makoto wiped her mouth and looked at the sky for a second before speaking. "Just...everything that's been happening! It's gone by so quick."

Chihaya nodded.

"...You know," Makoto's voice had darkened. "If it weren't for you two...I think I would've gotten canned."

"Surely not," Azusa put a hand on her shoulder. Chihaya said nothing, taking a sip of water instead.

"No, it's true. Sure I had some kind of following, but I think I was starting to cost 765 money. Something like that. I heard the Producer talking to the President about it once or twice. And, well...you just know after a while that you're not turning out any good."

She hung her head, a hand in her hair. "And then the Producer tells me I'm supposed to be in a unit with you guys when I was just some kinda nobody. I never thought it would...turn out like this."

Chihaya had her suspicions that Makoto was not one of the most successful of the 765 idols, but she didn't know that her situation was that bad. Sure, if by any chance Operation Phantasm hadn't been a hit, she would have been in a tough spot, but...

"Well, you don't need to worry about that anymore," Azusa leaned against Makoto to wrap her arm around her. "You're still here, and if anything happens," she chuckled, "Chihaya-chan and I will protect you."

"Csh," Chihaya rolled her eyes. But then she leaned against Azusa to offer her support as well.


	9. VisDanVoc

_"Thank you all for coming! We hope you enjoyed our performance! Have a good night, and we hope to see you next time!"_

...

"...So, for those of you just tuning in, today we have the one and only Operation Phantasm on our show! Now ladies, if you don't mind me asking," the host leaned towards them, "which group or unit do you think is your greatest rival? We've heard about your plans to enter the competition circle."

"No doubt, that would be the Fae from 961 Pro," Chihaya nodded. "The two of them have excellent balance."

"Hm? But the Fae are a duet. You wouldn't normally be competing against them, would you...?"

"We are...expecting them."

"Ha ha! If you say so."

"Besides, there's no trio out there right now that we're afraid of," Makoto grinned, holding up a fist. "We can beat all of them!"

"Gutsy, I like it. Now, you three have only been working with each other for a short time, but you already have great synergy. Can you tell the viewers what you like best about your unitmates? We'll start with you, Azusa."

"Oh...there's just so much," Azusa touched her fingers together. "Makoto-chan has a very contagious energy. Chihaya-chan is very deliberate and decisive. It's something I wish I could emulate."

"That's something a lot of people wish they could do. What about you, Makoto?"

Makoto had been holding her chin for a while. "I really like how...when Chihaya talks, it's like she's singing still. There's this music and rhythm from her. And Azusa-san, as soon as she opens her mouth, you know that everything's going to turn out okay. Does that sound weird?"

"I didn't know you could be so poetic, Makoto-chan."

"Yeah, I guess that did sound kinda weird coming from me, huh? Um, let's see...oh yeah! I like watching Chihaya eat ice cream!" Makoto swung a fist good-naturedly.

"Come again?" the host asked, holding back laughter.

"She does this noise when she eats," Makoto help up her hands. "And she'll eat it so fast, too!"

"What was that - a noise?"

"Yeah! Like, really quiet, but kind of this 'nm nm' noise. It's totally cute."

"Don't be ridiculous," Chihaya looked aside.

"I'm serious! I could watch her eat ice cream all day!"

"Fu fu...and she probably would, too," Azusa smiled.

"Honestly, you two...!"

"Maybe we can bring in some ice cream and watch little Chihaya here eat it," the host turned around. "What? No? Okay, maybe another time. So what do you like the most regarding the other two members of Operation Phantasm, Chihaya? It must have been a completely different experience than your stint as a soloist, was it not?"

Chihaya was caught off-guard by that question. She should have been thinking about it while the other two were talking, but she had been too busy paying attention to what they were saying, and what Makoto had said had completely derailed whatever train of thought she had before, anyway.

She couldn't tell the truth, since that was entirely too personal and stupid-sounding. She...loved the way Makoto smiled, and that subtle wriggle she had when she was excited, like a little kitten or puppy. She loved the way that Azusa would take care of her, despite her saying that she didn't need to be cared for. The way that Azusa would hold her, or hold her and Makoto, was lovely. And that voice...both of theirs, perhaps. She would feel lonely if she couldn't hear them again.

She loved how that they took that belief of hers, that they could not work together, and proved her wrong.

Chihaya knew that she had to say or do something, as many eyes were on her. "I like..." Her hand had been slowly creeping up, and she laid the back of her hand on her forehead, with a single finger extended.

"This..."

The host nodded, making an assenting noise. The other two idols were staring at her, dumbfounded.

"And...this," she turned her hand around, putting two fingers up this time. She broke into a nervous grin. This was totally absurd and she knew it.

"Ah! I get it!" Makoto pointed at her, jumping in her seat. "Me and Azusa - our hair -"

"Oh, my," Azusa put a hand to her cheek. "Do you mean to say that you have _ahoge envy_, Chihaya-chan?"

"That's not what I meant...!"

"C'mere," Makoto pulled her in for a rough hug, wrapping an arm around Azusa as well. "You're just so cute I could squeeze you!"

"Wa - let go!"

But Chihaya was laughing before long. She would really have it no other way.


End file.
